Joys of Fatherhood
by Arrice
Summary: ..slash.. Bruce and Tim's relationship has progressed and shows no signs of stopping, but when Talia pushes Damian into their lives, how will they be affected? If you read, please review!
1. prologue: part one

The early morning light leaked into the bare windows of Bruce Wayne's bedroom, the shadows drawn back for another day. The man curled up closer to the body sharing his bed with him, the only other source of warmth as the sheets had been kicked back earlier in the morning by their tangled legs and hurried movements.

He kissed his way silently up his bird's naked back, reaching his neck and sucking gently at the skin till the body stirred. Tim Drake turned over into the man's arms, letting off a yawn, and blinking his eyes several times till the light didn't seem to burn. He grinned and watched the face of his lover, "Wake up time, already?"

"For me."

"Mmm…don't say that."

"You've only had five hours of sleep, Tim."

"Which means…," Tim gracefully flipped them over, seemingly awake, until he was straddling Bruce's hips, "You've only had *three*."

"I have things to do," the man stated, matter-of-factly.

"Yes…you *do*."

Bruce was surprised Tim agreed that he should be up so early. "Very important *things*," The teen shifted slightly, making his way back until he was able to grind his dick to Bruce's own. The man moaned silently and arched into Tim's awakened member.

"Tim, we only had sex a few *hours* ago."

The bird ground his hips again, gasping at the feeling his own movement caused. "Teenage hormones running rampant, remember?" Tim grinned before bowing down so he could kiss the man hungrily, licking his way in and in. The teen seemed to lose himself in the motions of his hips and the things they did to Bruce. He grinned and ran a hand down the man's chest, flicking a nipple. "*Bruce*…," he squeaked out when the man below him decided to meet him on the thrusts. He knew Bruce wanted to stay in control of the situation, to be the domineering one; he knew even more so when the man flipped him back to the mattress. It didn't stop Tim from continuing his small sexual quest. He wrapped his arms around the man's neck and rode out the movements, groaning loudly.

"What's gotten into you?"

"*Nothing*… yet," the teen whimpered with the next thrust.

Bruce grabbed his lover's hips to stop his motions and held on till the bird looked at him. "*Tim*."

"Don't want you to get out of bed…," He stroked the man's arm comfortingly, cooing slightly.

"It's the same routine every--"

"No is isn't." Tim threw out a frustrated look, turning his head away from the man, his face completely flushed. "When I'm in bed with you, I expect it to be a different routine. I expect you to pay some attention to what I *need* in the morning. I mean, you haven't complained so far." Bruce placed a hand on Tim's chin and turned his head so he could look back into the teen's stormy blue eyes.

"Tim, I just have a lot to do today. I need to fix the mic in the cowl, work on the new Batmobile, go through the reports from last night." He took Tim's hand, so small in his palm, and gave it a soothing kiss.

"I know you're a busy man, Bruce. But you could at least stay in bed with me a few more minutes in the morning." Tim sighed, "When we started this…*relationship*, I told you that I expected you to give me certain things--"

"I--"

"*Hush*, I'm not done yet. You agreed to give everything that I needed, and yes Bruce, that does include sex. Little do you know, that you're the only person I would ever want that from. I could have easily found someone else. I could easily be in Blüdhaven, fucking Dick…but I'm not. I'm in *your* bed, Bruce…and yours is the only one I've been in." Tim paused and let the words sink in; he knew Bruce was a little taken aback by the comment about Dick, but he wanted the man to understand how much he loved him.

"Bruce, I know you're older, and that it takes longer for you to recover from these *things*, but when I told you I wanted a relationship with you, you didn't back down. And I know it can seem hectic, and you get worn out from sex, especially when I have like four orgasms in an hour," the teen laughed at the expression on Bruce's face, and gave him a tiny kiss.

"But, you've handled me better then I could ever imagine…*sexually*." Tim was suddenly frowning, his eyes looking over Bruce's shoulder, at the ceiling. "You're so used to *not* having a relationship, that it's kind of tough for you…I'm not saying you're a horrible person, because if that were true, I would already be gone…I'm just saying that we need to work on your people skills."

"I understand."

Bruce was frowning at the edges of his lips at Tim's comments, he knew that the teen was right, Tim was always making small studies at the way Bruce acted towards him, and it was no surprise Tim had taken note of both the sexual part of their relationship and the emotional.

The bird stroked Bruce's cheek and set his lips over the man's, licking playfully until Bruce let him inside. Tim moaned as the man grabbed hold of him and rolled them again, messing up the sheets even more so.

"Bruce, I love you so much, and I don't want anything to come between us."

**~&**

Later in the morning, Tim found Bruce down in the Cave, working on the cowl mic just like he had promised. He came up behind the man and left a generous smooch on his cheek. Bruce turned away from his work, his small microscope still attached over his eye, and devoted his full attention to his teen lover.

"Working hard?"

"Yes, I'm almost done here."

"Great! That means we can have lunch together."

"Well…," Bruce turned his head a bit, and removed the microscope. "I was thinking we could have a light lunch while you help me on the new Batmobile." The way he said it was almost completely Bruce Wayne, causing Tim to let off a tiny smirk.

Tim jumped into the man's arms without warning. He threw his arms around Bruce's neck and kissed him passionately, sucking on the man's lower lip before he let go. "I would love that." He snuggled against Bruce's neck, purring quietly, enjoying the feel of being in his lover's arms, so near him. It meant a lot to Tim that Bruce had actually listened to what he had said in bed and taken into account what it meant spending more time with the teen.

"Thank you, Bruce."

"For what?"

"For being so good to me."

Bruce pulled him closer and placed a small kiss on the end of the bird's nose, "I thought I hadn't been good to you."

"No…not entirely," Tim drew his lips together thinking, "You could buy me more expensive things if it makes you feel better." He kissed Bruce again, happy when the man gave in right away, licking his way into the bird's mouth. The teen moaned and grabbed onto Bruce's black sweater, pulling him as close as he could physically get. He almost jumped when Bruce ran a hand down his inner thigh and squeezed his hardening member.

"*Bruce*," He drew out the one syllable with a lust glazed expression on his face, "I thought we had to wait longer before we could do it again."

"Hmm, trying to make up for this morning." He nuzzled Tim's neck with a growl and began sucking at the sensitive skin, giving the teen's groin another squeeze.

"Make up? But you didn't do anything wrong."

"My hesitation."

"You didn't hesitate *after*." Tim grinned and hugged the man closer. "Really, it's alright."

"What if I want to?"

"That's fine," he nimbly crawled a hand up the man's chest, under the sweater, giggling quite a bit at Bruce's expression and quiet pleas. "Just…mmm, someplace more comfortable. I'm not flexible like Dick, you know?"

Bruce ran his lips down the teen's forehead to one of his eyelids and kissed it sweetly, "Hmm, but you're very good." He picked the bird up and carried him across the Cave to the Batmobile that was currently in use by the Dark Knight, and laid Tim out on the shining, newly waxed hood. "I still love the way you move."

Tim flung his legs around the man's waist and pulled him in close, "Is that so? You mean like how I took down Nigma last night?"

"Just like that, yes." The man busied himself with getting Tim's pants off and *away*, kissing a line up the teen's barely hairy leg when he accomplished his task. The teen whined and pulled the man's hands to the waistband of his briefs. He gave a small lick at his lips as Bruce tugged them off, too. "And like this."

Tim gave a parting sigh as Bruce wrapped his lips around the teen, sending a jolt right through the bird. "*Bruce*…" He placed a reassuring hand on Tim's outer thigh and let the teen push further into his hot mouth.

**~&**

Tim sat naked from the waist down on the hood of the car as Bruce ventured off to find the teen's underwear which had been kicked under the mechanical monster. The man suddenly reappeared, sought piece of clothing dangling from a fingertip, smirk wide across his face.

"Mmm, those legs of yours, Tim." Bruce lifted the teen's ankles and slid the briefs down the bird's long legs.

"Are they dangerous?"

"Only to me."

He grinned, snapping the waistband above Tim's flaccid penis. The teen laughed and allowed Bruce to pick him up and carry back over to the console. He set Tim down gently in the chair and went off to find the supplies needed to clean his sticky car.

It was a bit funny to see Batman clean the car free of semen and sweat. Tim licked his lips and watched intently how Bruce's hips moved while he wiped the hood. It was a very nice ass, and Tim realized this more, the more he saw it. Really, Nightwing didn't have anything on Batman. Of course, with that long cape, only Robin really got to see it.

He smirked when Bruce leaned against the computer next to him, throwing the teen his discarded pants. "We don't need to scare Alfred."

"He already knows. Really, Bruce. When we're in one place for a very long time together…not *patrol*…it usually means we've partaken in some scandalous ritual." Bruce laughed at the edges of his eyes, because it was so true, watching Tim get up and slip into his pants with a few wiggles of his hips.

"I think it's time for lunch. We're late enough."

"You know I can't get enough of those noises you make."

The teen let off a pout that disappeared as soon as Bruce picked him up to carry him upstairs to the manor.

Alfred already had the couple's lunch laid out, a few ham and cheese sandwiches and a couple glasses of juice. Tim promptly raised himself onto the counter in front of Bruce and fed the man a few pieces of sandwich between his own bites, smiling the entire time as the man had decided it would be fun to kiss his way up Tim's exposed flesh. The bird just sat his feet in Bruce's lap and dealt with the surprisingly horny bat.

Both finished lunch without getting another hard-on and Tim silently praised whoever was up in the heavens, even as a teenager he needed time to recover from the three orgasms Bruce pushed out of him.

Tim toted behind Bruce over to the work-in-progress Batmobile. The man removed the tarp with a quick flip of both wrists, letting the off-white fabric fall to the cold cave floor. He turned and gave a little smile at Tim before he started listing off the things that he hoped to accomplish in the day between the two of them.

**~&**

Reclining in the driver's seat, Tim ran his hands down the steering wheel while watching Bruce finish up the engine. The man had shed his shirt almost an hour ago, continually working while having Tim run back and forth and help him.

"I had an interesting conversation with Alfred yesterday."

Bruce wiped a hand across his forehead and looked over at his young lover, "Really? I hope you're not conspiring against me."

"No, but we were talking about you."

"Yes?"

"And we think you need to take a break, get away from Gotham for a few days."

He abandoned the front of the car to stand behind Tim and wrap his arms around the teen's shoulders, laying small kisses on his neck and jaw. "I think that'd be a wonderful idea," he whispered huskily in the bird's ear, sending a shiver all the way to Tim's groin.

"We got sent an invite to the Action for Africa aftershow party."

"Hmm? Where at?"

"London."

"Then we should go…you and I." He started sucking kisses at the sensitive skin of Tim's neck, across the scar that almost meant sudden death. "I would love to have you beside me, dressed to the nines."

"*Mmm*, I'll have to suffer though watching all those women cling to you."

"We can stay a few days after the party and you can have me all to yourself."

Tim placed his lips against the ones that were offered to him, licking his way into the man's mouth. He emitted a moan and clung tight to Bruce's arms. "I would love that."

"I'll get everything ready for our vacation then."

"Bruce, Alfred and I talked about something else, too."

"What," he asked against his bird's ear.

"Alfred says you're out of practice at being Bruce Wayne."

"And what do you say?"

"You're out of practice at being Bruce Wayne towards women."

"I can't disagree with you."

"You growl at me, at everyone."

"I thought you liked that," he bit and pulled playfully at the earlobe.

"I do, but you know Alfred."

"Yes. I'll work on it."

"Then I'll tell Al to pack our things."


	2. prologue: part two

**a few notes, beforehand: the full chapter (which is rated NC-17, or MA) is located at my livejournal account, along with notes on the chapter itself. there's a link to my journal in my profile, and a tag for the series so you won't have too much trouble finding it. but for you who can do without the dirty scene, go ahead and read this version.

~&

Tim couldn't stop staring at the beauty of London, it was nothing at all like Gotham. Where Gotham was full of shadows, London was full of light. He was only slightly aware that Bruce had been looking at him the entire ride in the limo.

They had kept themselves occupied on the jet, locking themselves away in the private lounge. Bruce had told Tim to sleep, but he had complained that he couldn't, that he was too excited to land in London and spend a *week* away with Bruce. He hoped Alfred didn't hear him scream when Bruce entered him in one hard thrust.

Tim met Bruce's eyes in the limo, scooted over until he was sliding on the man's lap. "Did you rest well," Bruce asked with a grin on his face.

"Mmm, yes, thank you for that…fun on the jet. I think I should be able to last until you're all mine." He stole a kiss from the billionaire, enjoyed the feel of Bruce's hands sliding up his back and embracing him tightly.

"I was thinking nobody would miss us if we left the party early."

"Jetlag excuse?"

"You hate parties."

"I should probably leave before you though, just so no one gets…suspicious."

Bruce laughed and pulled Tim in closer, "There's already rumors flying around Tim. People are *already* suspicious."

"Well, may I ask, what kind of billionaire wouldn't want to be with a boy like me?" Tim gave a smirk and rested his head against Bruce's coat covered shoulder.

"Stay away from those other billionaires."

"I hear Tony Stark will be attending, maybe I'll hang around him while you're busy with those annoying women."

"*Tim*," Bruce said, with a hint of a serious tone in his voice..

"I kid, I kid. Everyone should know that Bruce Wayne is the only one for me." He backed up his statement with a few lazy kisses across the man's jaw line and to his lips. They engaged their tongues in a vivacious little duel. Bruce was more then tempted to pin Tim to the leather of the seat, but they would be at the hotel soon, someplace perfectly quiet.

The rest of the ride passed quickly and quietly as Tim enjoyed the sound of Bruce's heartbeat against his ear. The man was running his hand through Tim's hair, whispering words of love and devotion to the teen, making him laugh a few times at the statements.

It wasn't long before Alfred was pulling up to The Landmark London hotel. The older man opened the door and gave way as Bruce stepped out, putting an arm back inside the car for Tim to hold onto as he stepped onto the ground of London in the evening air. A man quickly came over and Alfred showed him their luggage to be carried inside the hotel.

Tim was in awe about the atmosphere of the hotel, the lobby was sparkling, lit up by an elegant fireplace, reflecting around the palm trees. He followed after Bruce as the man made his way over to the attendant.

"I have a reservation under Wayne."

The English woman smiled and quickly typed at the computer, "Bruce Wayne," he nodded, "for a two bedroom presidential suite?"

"Yes, that's us."

"Alright, here's your two keys," she smiled at Tim as she handed them over to Bruce. "And everything's going on tab, correct?"

"Yes, I'll be paying when we check out."

"Wonderful, you two enjoy your stay at The Landmark London."

~&

Alfred had taken care of putting their clothes away, he hung their tailored suits up in the closet and looked them both over. "The party is in two hours, you may want to eat before you go…and take care of *other* things." He looked at Tim who was sitting on the bench at the end of Bruce's bed. The teen almost laughed at the gentleman's gentleman, but turned to Bruce who had busied himself with taking off his coat and scarf.

Alfred took them both, held his hand out for Tim's own, who placed it in there with speed. "I will order room service for you both, anything particular you would like?"

"Some seafood, Alfred…with a Freisa wine to go with it."

"Very well, Sir. I will inform you when dinner has arrived." Alfred exited the bedroom quickly, closing the door behind him, leaving the lovers alone.

"Other things? I wonder what he meant by that," Tim said innocently, eying the older man.

~&

Tim took another sip of his wine, sitting happily on Bruce's lap even though there was five other chairs at the table for him to sit at. He set his glass back down on the table and ate the shrimp Bruce offered him. Alfred ordered them the perfect dinner, and for Tim, there was nothing like eating delicious food with his lover while dressed in bath robes.

The wine was also exquisite, Alfred knew his stuff. Tim probably would've drunk the whole bottle if they didn't have to spend the night on the town. He picked up the wineglass again and brought it to Bruce's lips so the man could take a sip.

It was Tim's turn to feed his love; he took the fork from Bruce's hand and curled some pasta onto it from the plate. Bruce ate the pasta hungrily, laughing when Tim brought him some shrimp next. The billionaire poured them more sparkling wine and took another sip before eating another piece of seafood.

Tim handed the fork back to the man and drank half of the glass sitting in front of him. Bruce would have to promise they would only drink this wine on special occasions or else Tim was pretty sure he would become addicted.

"You really like that wine."

"Mmhm," Tim mumbled around the glass, taking another sip. Bruce laughed and gently stole the wine from the teen's hand.

"Careful, just because the drinking age is eighteen doesn't mean I want you getting drunk."

"But, it's good."

He kissed Tim, tasted the Freisa wine in his mouth when he was granted access. The smell of the sweet alcohol was in Tim's breath as gasped out of the kiss. "It makes your mouth taste savory." Bruce smiled as Tim nipped the man's lip until *he* was able to enjoy the taste in the billionaire's mouth. He did taste sweet, like Tim could kiss him forever, and he really would if he didn't need to breathe so much.

Bruce let out a hearty laugh as Tim backed away, thoroughly breathless, left panting by his own actions. He smirked soon enough and plucked another piece of shrimp between cherry red lips. Bruce would have to order Tim more of this wine before the week was through.

~&

"You're fidgeting, Tim." Bruce smirked, talking so only the teen could hear him as they walked into the party, late as usual.

"I hate formalwear." The bird pulled at his collar again, watching the people flitter on the plaza floor.

Bruce's breath was on his neck suddenly, "But I love the way you look in it, baby," the man replied, voice husky. Tim squirmed from the sudden feeling of uncomfortable that formed in his pants. Bruce would have licked his teen lover's neck if they weren't somewhere so public.

"You are such a bastard, I just want you to know that."

"Oh, I know. I can't help that you look so beautiful when you squirm." Bruce had a smile pinned to his face, stuck in playboy mode. He gave Tim a small wink before heading into the crowd, yelling "ladies!" He had yet to prove if his out of practice playboy routine would work on the women.

Tim would have to keep himself busy until Bruce decided it was time to leave the party. He meandered between the various rich bastards, dodging the annoying women on the way. He made his way over to the bar, more out of boredom then any urge for liquor, he still had the taste of wine and Bruce in his mouth. Tim's mouth watered just think about putting the two things together.

He placed his hands on the edge of the clear glass bar, almost surprised when the bartender looked over at him and asked him what he wanted with a smile. "Oh…umm--"

"The kid will have a straight vodka. I'll take a scotch."

"What?" Tim looked over, completely stunned that someone had just ordered a drink for *him*.

"You looked like you could use a drink, kid." The man took his drink in hand when the bartender dropped the two glasses off. "Maybe a few."

"Umm…"

The mysterious stranger finally turned to face Tim, grin pasted on his face. "You can talk, right?"

Tim should have walked away, really, but he stood there, looking only half as completely stunned as he really was as the man ran his free hand over his beard.

"Tony Stark." He placed his hand out for Tim to shake it; the teen did weakly, still in awe.

"Umm…Tim Drake."

"Huh…that sounds kinda familiar. You look--"

"Bruce Wayne's ward," Tim said, grinning, finally picking up the glass of vodka. He swore Tony could have spit out his scotch.

"Wayne Enterprises' Bruce Wayne?"

"The one and only," Tim took a drink of the vodka, decided he didn't like it and set it back down.

"Ah, so that's why you look so goddamn *familiar*. The pictures don't do you justice."

"Thank you."

Tony watched the teen smile again, "*Really* don't do you justice."

"Are you insinuating something, Mr. Stark?" Tim raised an eyebrow with his grin still at the edges of his lips.

"Only that you're beautiful and should come back with me to my hotel room at the Berkeley."

Tim should stay away from other billionaires, especially billionaire industrialists with facial hair. "Sorry, I'm already committed." The teen gave his most voluptuous sway of hips as he walked away from the stunned playboy, leaving him wanting more of a show. Tim could have swore he heard the man say 'and a beautiful little ass to go along with it' as he left.

There was some exotic woman pawing at Bruce when Tim spotted them. She wore a long, *revealing* purple gown, that little known to the woman, wasn't doing anything to sexually excite the billionaire playboy. It didn't mean Tim couldn't feel jealous and territorial over the man. He hoped the woman would see one of the love bites that the teen left on Bruce's neck.

He grabbed a glass of champagne and mingled with the group of people standing in front of one of the comic-esque pieces of art that littered the gallery. Tim could care less about the art, all he wanted was to have Bruce to himself again, to not have to worry about the women touching him. He trusted Bruce with everything that he was, but he trusted none of the women.

Tim meandered from picture to picture, finding one that no one seemed to care about. He looked hard at the piece; a teenaged boy, stating 'it's easy' in bold letters; lost in the bright colors until suddenly, "I think it represents the sexual achievement of a ward finally winning his guardian's attention."

The teen almost laughed out loud as he looked over at Bruce, who was slightly disheveled from his playboy routine. "Doesn't look much like me, looks more like Dick."

Bruce gave a nod, slipping his hands in his pockets. "Ready to go back to the hotel?"

"Dear God, yes. Quickly, before Tony Stark decides to hit on me again." Tim started walking to the large doors where they had entered at. Bruce managed to find his way close to the teen's body; he placed a hand on Tim's lower back and spoke just above a whisper.

"Stark really hit on you?"

"He said I had a quote, beautiful little ass, unquote. He also invited me to his hotel room." Bruce growled low in his throat, still looking like a playboy. "Don't worry, I said I was committed."

"Maybe I should lock you up, make sure no one else *looks* at you."

"I could say the same to you, babe. I hope you didn't give anyone your number."

"*Our* number. I said I'd call, they think I will."

"They'll be thinking that for a long time."

When they got inside their car, Bruce immediately pulled Tim into a long, searing kiss.

"What was that for?"

"Would you rather I punch Stark in the face?"

Tim laughed as Alfred drove them back to the hotel.


	3. prologue: part three

Hitting the pillow felt like an epiphany. He wasn't tired, but he felt like he had actually had a very busy day for not being in Gotham to fight crime. Keeping Tim happy had never been a chore, but the teen had worn him out. Not to mention he'd grown tired of having to act the role of playboy when the only one he ever wanted to be with had to also act like they weren't secret lovers.

He watched Tim sleep, breathing light as he cuddled closer to Bruce to throw an arm over the man. He saw the teen's eyes flicker as he entered REM sleep, his mouth opening and closing. He stroked Tim's cheek several times without waking him, just taking comfort in the soft skin under his palm. Tim was his love, would always be, no one in the world could ever change that.

It made his mouth water, thinking of Tim, thinking of spending the rest of the week with the teen in such a beautiful city. He rubbed a thumb across the bird's lower lip, almost absent mindlessly, stroking the soft, plump piece of skin.

This was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, the one he wanted to attend all the parties with on his arm, not some spoiled, ditzy woman who just wanted him for his money. He wanted to spoil Tim, to let all of Gotham know, with one public kiss, that Tim Drake belonged to him.

It was a something he often thought about on long nights. It was an idea he wanted to talk with Tim about, but he was only nineteen. He didn't want the people to think that he had been having sex with Tim ever since he took the teen in as a ward. A few more years, maybe, and he would bring up the proposal. He had waited this long for a lover, he could wait a few years longer.

He grinned and left a small kiss against the bird's forehead before he got out of the large bed. He pulled on a pair of slacks and a black t-shirt and made his way into the bathroom for a glass of water. Bruce had downed half of it before he went outside to enjoy the night air of London on the balcony.

Marriage.

With Tim.

Marrying Tim.

The man watched the rest of London sleep as he thought more on the entire subject. All the gossipers of Gotham had always wondered why he never married any of the women he dated, of course those were also the people who thought he might have sexually abused Dick and Jason when they were young.

He shook his head at the image and thought again about Tim. They had a huge age gap; Bruce was in his early 40s while Tim was only just going to be turning 20. What would the press have to think about that? They would certainly assume he had probably been sleeping with Tim since he turned the age of consent, but he hadn't. Tim had waited until he turned 18, until nobody could say anything about it. Even then, Alfred couldn't question the teen. He was responsible, had been responsible long before he turned legal and nobody could question him on his want for Bruce.

Legality.

Gay marriage *wasn't* legal in New Jersey, not yet. Maybe by the time Tim turned 21 and was no longer considered Bruce's ward, it would be. But he couldn't count on that, a civil union would have to do, no matter how *appalling* it seemed. No, at least he and Tim would be legally together, a couple.

He grinned and finished off his glass of water. Maybe he would ask Tim about it sooner, maybe even that week. It would be nice--

There was a pinprick on his neck, he grabbed for it and found a small dart, one he recognized as--

**~&**

"No, Alfred, I didn't see him get up. He was there sleeping with me and when I woke up, he wasn't in bed." Tim couldn't stop wringing his hands in the sheets of the hotel bed, he didn't feel like he could even move. Bruce was gone, nowhere to be found and it took Alfred to calm the teen to understandable sentences.

"I can assure you, Master Tim, he would not leave without telling you, even if there were a problem in Gotham." The old butler was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to feed the young man something, but the vigilante was just too worried.

"I just…I can't help but think something bad has happened to him. But--," he paused and disconnected his hands from the bedding, "no, you're right. He wouldn't leave without telling me. Alfred, there's no clues at all, no signs of a struggle, no nothing." Tim exhaled and finally got out of the bed; he walked over to the closet and pulled on one of Bruce's button-up shirts over his underwear.

"I would investigate if I could. But there isn't anything to investigate. Uh, goddamnit…who would do this?"

"I can only think of one set of persons who have the resources and know that Bruce Wayne is Batman."

"Yeah, the League of Assassins. But, Ra's al Ghul is dead and I can't think of any reason Talia would want my boyfriend…okay, besides she's crazy and won't stop calling him 'beloved'."

"Is there anything Master Bruce hasn't been telling you?"

The teen sighed and looked over at the butler with wide blue eyes as he spoke, "You know him, Alfred…he doesn't tell anyone *everything*, even the person he shares a bed with each night." For a moment, there was a glint in the teen's eyes right before they darkened. "I'll call Oracle, tell her to see if there are any League compounds in London."

"Very well, sir. I'll ready your suit and supplies."

**~&**

His head was swimming, he was drugged, right in the middle of the night on his goddamn hotel room balcony. Everything was still so blurry and it smelled like mold and dirty water, maybe by the ocean or in the sewers.

What about Tim?

Tim would be worried regardless that Bruce was Batman. Robin did have the right to be a bit apprehensive about his partner. But the teen was still smart, he was probably already working on finding the man.

Bruce's head was already clearing up, finally capable of cloudless thought, and he already knew who it was before there was a voice reverberating through the compound.

"I'm glad you're awake, beloved."

"Talia. It's always you, isn't it?"

"Only half of the time, my bat. Tell me, how is your little bird?"

Bruce could see her smile in the dull light of the cavern, could feel the wood under his knees. Someone was picking him up from behind just as he was about to fall over. He finally felt the rope restraints binding his arms. Bruce was sure he could break them, if he wasn't so groggy.

"He's mine and that's all you need to know."

"All?"

"Besides that I'll hunt you down if you hurt him."

"Don't worry, detective, your darling is safe and sound. Probably worried to death about where his big bat has gone." There was a hint of vehemence in her voice, but he trusted that she hadn't hurt Tim at all.

"Get to the point. What do you want? Your father is dead, shouldn't you be carrying on his legacy."

Her fists clenched at her sides, ruffling the flower pattern of her oriental dress, a few long strands of brown hair falling in her face. "*This* has nothing to do with my father. It is between you and I."

"There's *nothing* between us, Talia. There never was."

"Ah," she stepped closer to the man, further into the light so he could clearly see her and the assassins located at her back, ready to strike if she ever gave the order. "Do you not remember our one night of passion all those years ago?"

"I distinctly remember being drugged and forced into one of your father's deranged…goals. There was no passionate night."

"And yet, you cooperated."

"If you call giving you a black eye cooperation, then yes."

She laughed loud, shifted her weight to one hip and again Bruce focused on the flowers wilting around the edges of her stomach. "I suppose you were always a bit…*rebellious*. But none the less…the plan worked out perfectly. I was with child." Talia looked on as Bruce's eyebrows angled and his eyes turned into small slits of blue. "But now, just like his father, he himself has grown rebellious of me and of the teachings passed down from my father."

"That child, whomever he may be…is. Not. Mine."

"Deny whatever you want, beloved, but it is the truth. I have raised him as well as I can, but now it is time for him to be taught by the hands of a great man, a king and conqueror in his own right."

"I'm not teaching him anything. I have my own apprentices, ones that I *chose* to teach. Don't think that you can simply thrust this child upon me."

"But that, my dear, is exactly what I plan to do. Damian," and she ushered her hand towards a part of the darkness, then there was a boy, young, coming out into the light.

~&

"This is absolutely disgusting. Bruce is going to suffer for making me go through this."

Robin had been wading through the sewers of London for the last four hours and yet he still hadn't found any signs of a supposed League of Assassins hideout. Sure, he trusted Oracle's information, but he still felt like he would be walking into something big. Maybe even a crocodile, if he was lucky.

There was dirty water in his boots, muck attached to his cape, and he felt that he needed at least three showers to get clean, but he couldn't give up the search when there was still miles of sewers to explore in that sector, and somewhere along the line he would find Bruce, hopefully before meeting the crocodile. He wasn't really in the mood to fight one of Killer Croc's family members.

Suddenly, he caught something out of the corner of his eye: a glint of light, not coming from his flashlight but from a crack in the wall of the sewer tunnel. He immediately started to search for some kind of switch, anything to open the secret door with, hoping it wouldn't be too late to help Bruce in whatever mess he'd landed himself in.

~&

"Father," the dark haired boy stood in front of him, sword in hand, a smile just on the edges of his lips. "For some reason, I thought you would look different." Bruce couldn't help but growl defensively at the teen.

Talia grinned as she walked forward to place her hands on the shoulders of her son. She watched the way Bruce's body moved at the sight of the young teen. His muscles tensed and became rigid and there was a visible strain as he pulled against the heavy rope binding him: he really didn't want to be there right now.

"Damian has been waiting to meet you for a very long time."

"I couldn't wait, father, still cannot."

"I'm not your father." The teen let off a lewd little smile and suddenly he placed his sword up against the skin of his father's neck.

"You're right, I know that my father is a strong man. And you…are weak. My father has no fear and he is the greatest man to grace this earth." The teen's sword slipped a bit, cutting one smooth, small line along the man's neck. His expression was empty, except his eyes: they were full of contempt and rage. Something Bruce had seen before in another young man, once long ago, before a near death experience changed all that.

"Well," and Talia was back in the conversation like that, her tone and voice carrying throughout the cavern as a small submarine splashed out of the water, greeting her. "I'm so sorry, beloved, but it's time for me to leave. I do have…places to be. And I do hope that you and Damian get along."

"Oh, I'm sure they'll get along just fine." A familiar, beautiful voice filled the tunnel, echoing until Bruce could hear the movement at his back.

"Ah, Timothy, I wished that you would have stayed out of this."

"And I wish you would just leave us alone." Talia snapped her fingers twice in the next second and pointed behind Bruce and Damian to Robin. The assassins were jumping at the teen in the next second, though Damian's eyes never strayed from his father's as Tim fought the ninjas and Talia fled to her sub with a few close men.

Smoke filled the chamber and Bruce could hear the sounds of man after man hitting the stone floor. Everything had gone quiet, still, and Damian's lips pursed in anticipation. He raised his sword high, ready for Robin to attack, but the only thing that came was a batarang flying out over Bruce's shoulder to knock the sword out of the teen's hand.

"I am so glad that I finally got the chance to save you." Tim's scent filled Bruce's nostrils in the next moment, glorious and so fresh over the stench of the London sewers. "I was pretty sick of being Robin, Teen Hostage."

The man could finally feel his arms free and he stood up and turned to face his young lover. "Tim--"

"Would you mind telling me what the hell is going on?" The edges of the black domino mask rose with the teen's eyebrows. Bruce sighed and looked over at Damian. It would be a long story.


	4. Distractions in all the wrong places

"He's not your kid, is he? I mean…you and *Talia*?" Robin smirked under his black domino and crossed his arms over his chest when Batman turned to look at him. The man had a look on his face the teen easily recognized. "I'm just *curious*."

"She said Damian was my child. There was a time, Tim…*one* time."

Robin nodded, still grinning, "What do you think about the kid?"

"He's well trained, but he's not in control of his emotions…his rage…he's a--"

"Brat?"

"Yes," Bruce smiled and adjusted the fully stocked utility belt he had just slung around his hips. He double checked all the compartments and then Tim's matching gauntleted hand was on the man's wrist, pausing his movement.

"Does this…does this change…*us*," he asked worried.

The man looked up at him, half of his face hidden behind the black of his cowl, he smirked at the teen, eliciting a small giggle from his partner. "It doesn't Tim…if you still want this."

"Well…I do…but I just thought you wouldn't have time for *this* anymore with a kid and all."

"Damian could never replace you."

Tim suddenly placed his hands on the man's sides, just above his belt and pulled him in closer. "That's because Damian can't do *this* with you." Robin propped himself onto his toes so he could kiss the man, Bruce didn't fight at all, just slid his hands under Tim's cape to the curve of his ass and squeezed.

Tim whimpered into his mouth and kissed hungrily, licking back and forth in the man's mouth, their tongues finding each other. The teen quickly undid the belt Batman had just put on and slid his gloved hand past the man's jock to warm skin he could barely feel under the leather.

"Aren't you going to take you glove off?" The smirk was pure Bruce, playboy Bruce, the kind of guy who would act slightly tipsy at a party and brush his hand across a woman's breast just for show.

Tim removed his hand and clamped on the middle finger of the glove with his teeth, allowing him to pull his hand out of the fitting piece of leather. His nimble fingers found their way back down to the previous position and he moaned feeling the hardened member.

"You've been holding out on me," Tim purred, kissing the man again, rubbing with his occupied hand playfully.

The man's breath hitched around Tim's mouth and he pulled the teen closer. "We should--"

The sudden call of 'father' broke both vigilantes away from the task they had occupied themselves with. Damian seemed to come out of nowhere and stood only a few feet away from the two men. Tim blushed all the way up to his domino and suddenly remembered where his hand was; he pulled it out and rubbed it against his thigh.

Bruce however did not remove his hands planted on Tim's ass, as if Damian could see with the teen's cape blocking the way. "Damian," the man said, tone lingering on immense anger. Tim settled his head on Batman's collarbone trying to calm himself and make the blush disappear.

"Father, I demand to know why you think I should be locked away ups--what are you doing?"

"*Damian*."

"First you mistreat me and now I find you fooling around with a mongrel *whore*," Tim's eyes shot open at the insult, "…cheating on mother!"

"Damian! You will *not* speak like that in my house, nor will you talk that way about Tim. You *will* apologize to him and then you *will* go back to your room."

"No! Why should I apologize to a harlot?" Damian crossed his arms across his chest and let out a small huff.

Batman was already away from Tim and standing in front of Damian before the teen vigilante really even realized it. "You will apologize if I have to choke it out of you." He brought his cowled face down low, in Damian's face, every word was growled out between clenched teeth. "And you will listen to me or I'll ship you back to your mother in a *crate*."

"Father, you wouldn't."

"I will if you don't behave."

The child looked towards Tim who had seemed to thoroughly find his composure and stepped closer towards the two Waynes. Bruce glanced at him, then back to his young son. Damian huffed before finally saying, "I apologize for calling you a mongrel, Timothy." He looked at his father as if he was done, but the man let out one growl. "And for calling you a *whore* and *harlot*."

Tim laughed out loudly, it wasn't a real apology but he would accept just to get the kid out of the Cave. "Back to your room. *Now*," Batman let out, watching the child turn on his heel and stomp all the way back up to the Manor.

When he knew Damian was gone, he looked back over at Tim, who was holding a hand over his mouth from the laughter. "Tim--"

"I've been called a whore before, but never a *mongrel* whore…or a harlot." He took away his hand and smiled at the man, it seemed to calm him down and he made his way back into the teen's space.

"How can he be my child?"

"Black hair, blue eyes, natural fighter…but he acts like his mother," Tim squinted behind the lenses of the domino and suddenly pulled the man closer. "In a few years, he may also gain your dashing good looks."

Bruce kissed him as an apology, but he also didn't want to hear about how much Damian *was* his child. Robin hummed and pulled away with a wicked grin. "So you wanna…?" The teen winked and traveled his hands across the man's chest.

Bruce sighed under the cowl, "I'm not in much of a mood anymore."

"Yeah…me either…," Tim sighed too, and let go of Bruce. He walked towards the man's belt and handed it to him when he followed after the teen. Bruce put it back on without saying anything, Tim watched, saddened that his fun had been ruined by the brat child.

"Hey," the man ran his hand over Tim's bare cheek and pulled him into a small, chaste kiss. "Maybe later tonight, we could…continue…hopefully uninterrupted. I'll lock the door."

"What if he suddenly decides he wants to sleep in your bed," Tim spat out, frustrated.

"I'll tie him to a chair."

Tim giggled and wrapped his arms around the man's thick waist, "That could work, or we could drug him. He'll be out for hours."

Bruce threw out a bat-smirk and nuzzled Tim's neck. "Whatever works. I need to go back out."

"I know."

"Keep Damian in check for me?"

"Of course, but I warn you, I may be inclined to use force, when necessary."

Bruce quickly pecked the teen on the lips, "Whatever you have to do."


	5. Survival of the fittest

Damian had decided it was his rightful place to parade around as Robin. When Batman saw him on the rooftop, calling out 'father', the man was immediately infuriated and then worried. Tim had said he would watch the boy and keep him out of trouble, and the teen he had fallen so madly in love with was not one to simply step aside on a promise, and on something so important.

Batman practically threw Damian into the Batmobile and hit the gas as soon as he was buckled in. Damian was wearing a Robin tunic like Dick and Jason had, the child had broken one of his most valued trophies, the costume of the Boy Wonder was not one to simply throw on and then spit upon. Batman gripped the wheel of the car tighter, refusing to answer to his son no matter how many times he called to him.

It seemed to take forever to get to the Cave, but when the car was finally parked, Bruce jumped out as fast as possible, almost immediately finding Tim in a heap on the floor, amongst the rest of the Robin costume and broken glass of the Case.

He called out to the teen and ran to his side, cradling his head in his gauntleted hands. Tim shook his head woozily and looked up at the man. "Bruce…?"

"Tim, are you--"

"…Stopped bleeding…Damian…"

Batman turned around to look at the guilty figure, Damian standing in his supposed Robin gear, "You hurt, Tim."

"Father, I could not have another vying for you attention. That whore does not deserve to wear the suit of Robin, to-to be at your side!"

"Shut. Up." Batman growled low and clenched his teeth, focusing back on the sorry state his partner was now in. He picked Tim up carefully, nestling the teen's head against his chest. "Alfred!," he yelled out, even more worried when the man did not show up.

"Where," he turned back towards Damian, "Where is Alfred!?"

"Upstairs, I--"

"Shut up."

He took Tim to the medical station and patched him up as well as he could, but the teen was still severely injured. Bruce looked for Damian, happy when the child had decided not to move an inch. His son took him up to the room that had been designated his own and stood to watch as Bruce crouched down to work on releasing the lock secured by the keypad.

In a few minutes, the butler was free, and looking more then agitated. "Master Bruce--"

"Robin is in the medical station, he needs your doctoring skills."

"Very well, Sir." The butler walked off, not giving the trouble child a second glance.

Alfred focused on helping Tim; the teen had fallen from a great height and lost a lot of blood. He went through the medical inventory, happy to find they were quite adequate in everything the teen would need. Batman came down, Damian standing a few feet behind him as if he didn't want to feel his father's rage.

In a few hours, Alfred removed his mask and looked over at Bruce, "He'll heal with time, but he'll need rest. Lucky Master Tim was trained for such events in case he had a horrible fall. His training is the only thing that saved his life."

Batman turned towards Damian, and let out a low growl before finding his way to Tim's side.

~&

Bruce listened comfortingly to the sound of Tim's steady heartbeat, ashamed that he had not listened to his sixth sense more closely about Damian. The child was trouble, through and through, but Bruce was left unsure what to do with him.

He ran a gauntleted hand down the soft skin of Tim's forearm and suddenly the teen was talking to him. "Bruce…" Tim's blue eyes were tired, and it made the man realize how close he was to losing the teen. He gripped onto Tim's hand tighter and lowered his lips onto the younger man's.

Tim smiled against Bruce's lips and brought his hand around the back of the man's head to bring him closer. "It's not your fault," Tim whispered, still so weak. When he kissed Bruce, it seemed to make all the confusion go away, because Tim was his partner, Tim was *his* Robin.

He let the teen lick his way into the man's mouth, and Tim moaned lightly into the kiss, grabbing on tighter to Bruce's neck. Tim had to make everything so tempting for Bruce, but the teen had almost died and it was all his fault.

He pulled away and Tim was stunned, but didn't release his hand from the back of Bruce's cowl covered head. "Really, Bruce it isn't…," Tim looked calm but so unsure of himself but never strayed from the lenses of the cowl. "I-I should have been more careful…I wasn't using my full potential because I didn't want to hurt the kid--" The man laid a gloved finger across Tim's reddened lips.

"I should have been more truthful to you…"

"Hmm?"

"Tim, *never* take a chance like that again, I don't want to lose you." Tim grinned and threw his arm with the IV in it around Bruce's neck and kissed him again. The man was surprised how much energy Robin had, sucking kisses along the exposed jaw line. He whimpered as Bruce grabbed hold of his wrists and put them back on the bed with a growl.

"You're too weak, Tim, you lost a lot of blood."

"I'm fine…"

"You're not. Besides, Alfred would kill me if he found out we had slept together with you in this state."

Tim giggled, turning his head sideways to look at the door to the hall. "Yeah, you are a bit rough when you're in the suit."

Batman growled above him, hands still around the teen's thin wrists. The teen watched the visible part of the man's face, his mouth curled down into a slight frown. "Stop brooding, I'll get better, Damian will hopefully be gone, and we can go back to our normal routine without *interruption*," Tim grinned wickedly at the last word, but laid still when the bat finally removed his hands from the teen's skin.

"I need to go find Talia." Batman was about to get up to leave but Tim latched onto his arm with surprising strength.

"Bruce…one more kiss."

The man turned, half covered face unemotional. "Please," Tim said innocently and then the man was leaning down, mouth hungry and rough against Tim's.

The teen cooed and accepted it, biting the man's lips as he rose back to his full height. Tim was left, heated and slightly uncomfortable in his bed. The bird still managed to grin past the blush on his face, "don't kill the little bastard out there."

Batman smirked, "I'll try not to."


End file.
